Eileen Pallen said it was a 'pleasure' to open them

As one of her last acts as mayor, Eileen Pallen, opened a retirement living development in Sidcup.

The Sydney Court accommodation on Lansdown Road opened on Monday, May 22, with a champagne reception.

Ms Pallen, said: “It was my pleasure to officially open the show complex and to see for myself what a fantastic development it is. Living independently and securely is extremely important, and with a growing number of people reaching retirement age I’m delighted developments such as this are being built to privide local retirees with a number of options to make thei most out of their later years.”

Julie Ward, regional sales and marketing director at McCarthy and Stone, the manufacturers of the development, said: “Our aim is to give those looking to downsize access to luxury living in the very best locations.

“With all the external maintenance taken care of and minimal upkeep required homeowners are free to devote more of their time to the things they enjoy. “We are very thankful to the mayor for taking the time out of her busy schedule to visit our new development.”